COMETS SELECT LOCAL DUO IN MASL COLLEGE DRAFT

by Nathan Dunn

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (December 21, 2023) — The Kansas City Comets drafted a pair of highly touted Kansas City-area natives in the 2023 MASL College Draft on Thursday afternoon. The Comets selected forward Jony Muñoz with the 4th overall pick out of MidAmerica Nazarene and defender Carson Lindsey out of UMKC with their 2nd round pick.

Both draft picks succeeded at high levels with local collegiate men’s soccer programs and will now have the opportunity to earn an MASL contract with the Comets.

“We’re very excited to draft two local players with great talent,” said Stefan Stokic, Comets head coach. “Jony can be a great goalscorer and Carson has potential to be a great defender. We are very excited to have them and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”

Muñoz was taken by the Comets in the 1st round and is fresh off winning an NAIA national championship with MidAmerica Nazarene University earlier this month. He was also named NAIA All-American First Team this past season after being named an All-American Honorable Mention and Heart Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Before his two years as a Pioneer, Muñoz spent two years at UMKC and was Summit League All-Conference Second Team and Summit League All-Newcomer Team. He tallied 27 goals and 16 assists across 65 games at the collegiate level.

The Olathe, Kansas native became the first Kansan to win the National Gatorade Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year in 2020 and was named MVP of the High School All-American Game. The former U.S. Under-16 Men’s National Team player, Sporting KC Academy and Toca FC product also led Olathe West High School to its first State championship in 2019 under coach Matt Trumpp.

Lindsey was drafted 4th in the 2nd round, 17th overall, after recently concluding his fifth season of collegiate eligibility and ending his three-year stint at UMKC where he played 42 games for the Roos. Lindsey transferred to the NCAA DI school after a standout two years at Columbia College, playing under former Comet John Klein. He was an NAIA First Team All-American and AMC Player of the Year his sophomore year after earning AMC Freshman of the Year and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention honors in his first year.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Lindsey also proved his scoring abilities in high school when he set a Park Hill South High School record with 30 goals in a single season. He played for Alliance FC before helping Columbia College to two consecutive NAIA Final Four appearances and back-to-back AMC Tournament championships.

The Comets traded their 3rd round pick of the 2023 MASL College Draft to the Empire Strykers as part of the November trade that brought Berto Palmer back to the Comets.

The Comets will have the rights to Lindsey and Muñoz protected until December 1, 2024.